Proposed Duluth Waterfront Resort One Vote Away from Breaking Ground

A proposed resort and hotel on Duluth's waterfront is one final vote away from breaking ground, after the Duluth Economic Development Authority unanimously passed all three resolutions on the Pier B Project Wednesday night.

In April, DEDA approved a tax plan to provide more funding for the development next to Bayfront Festival Park. The $29 million project will house a 140-room hotel and a 150-seat restaurant that will feature a boat dock. It would also include all new waterfront activities including paddleboarding and kayaking.

"We are providing a new community resource, community asset, by expanding our attraction value for our waterfront," said Sandy Hoff, president of Duluth real estate company F.I. Salter and one of the co- developers of the Pier B Waterfront Project. "We have a group of local investors that have invested in providing something fun and new for the waterfront."

The project still needs the approval of the Duluth City Council on the project development agreement which includes selling the site to developers. Developers say they are confident they have the council's support.

If they do approve it, the project is set to break ground later this summer and be completed by fall of 2015.

This time last year the Apostle Islands Ice Cave season was about to wrap up, but this year, it's just getting started, and the shorter season had crowds flocking to the attraction for its opening weekend. Just days ago, park officials gave the okay for the ice caves to open up to the nearly 11,000 visitors who came over the weekend.